It started out with a dozen seniors crying on the front steps. Talk of all kinds of retaliation and/or protest. And my first day of CRTs was today. "Hey, we're closing down the school you love, but would ya still do your best for me on that Math test?" Well the testing actually went pretty well all things considered. I gave them the old "don't prove them right by screwing up the test" and "I want you to do so good I can rub their noses in it!" pep speech. I don't know how much it helped, but most of them seemed to be trying their best. Then the principal calls all the teachers to a meeting in the conference room to let us know where we were picked up. So, now I know where I'm going next year, and I'm not going to tell you.
Yeah, you know me better than that.
I had 3 schools circled on the map that I would be happy to go to. All others were questionable at best, hit-the-summer-transfer-list-immediately at worst. I got picked up by one of the schools I had circled, by a principal that I had worked with before and enjoyed working with very much, and at the school I student taught at long ago. It's not the closest one to my house, but it is an easy(ish) drive from my house. Oh, did I mention it's a Junior High? Yeah, back in the Jr. High. But you know what? All 3 of the schools I circled were Jr. Highs. I have enjoyed working at the High School, but I had never ruled out returning to the Jr High sometime in my career.
So, I go out to my new school to say HI to the principal, and she said that's good because she wasn't sure whether I want to teach 8th grade or 9th grade. She penciled me in for the 8th grade, because she thought (correctly) that that is where I would prefer to be. Cool. She's also going to see if she can get me one of the few, very few, classrooms with windows there.
So, right now I'm on a little bit of an "up", because I had feared a lot worse as to where I'd end up. Of course, then the reality of them closing a school I have really loved working at will sink in. But at least I know. And at least I know it's somewhere I'll like being.
8 comments:
Let's see: a junior high where windows are a rarity.... hmmmm. Well, that narrows it down to 3, and I know which one of those is where you've taught before, so I know you're off to the school with a floorplan that resembles a rabbit warren.
Good. It sounds like you've gotten a pretty good deal. If you get a chance, e-mail me and tell me if you know where any of my other former collegues are going.
And I'm really glad you won't be kept waiting to see where you'll go.
Well, our condolences and congratulations all at once. I was sad to see the school had closed, but am glad for you getting a place you'd prefer. Right now is a time of mixed emotions, but that first week in June will be filled with sorrow. On the other side of that coin the summer will offer a time of excitement for things to come. Also, remember, you won't have to deal with little miss "I'm a doctor" anymore.
I had a doozy of a day myself. All in a teacher's line of work, I suppose.
Lame! The whole point of reading your blog is to KNOW things about what's going on in your life - where are you teaching next year? By the way, i'm super glad that you are already placed and it's in a school that you were hoping to go to. Good for you!
Jeff
You aren't saying where you are going? How rude!!!! And I thought we were tight!
Thank you all for your comments. It's kind of mixed feelings right now. I have loved working at the high school, the last three years have been a lot of fun and highly rewarding. I'm sorry to see that end. There's going to be a lot of sadness and turmoil over the next month, but at the same time I'm excited to be working with my other most favorite principal again. But, getting all philosophical, that's life; when one door closes another opens.
You gotta be a little bit careful mentioning specifics on a blog, especially one that is open to everyone to read. But I'll give you a little hint as to the school I'm going to. It's a junior high school and it's name rhymes with "Schmeisenhower". Writer got it right away, but I guess it helps that she works in the same district as I do.
That was the best clue ever! Again, I'm sorry to hear that you have to leave Granite, but I am glad that your new school isn't one of the ones you didn't want. ;)
And I was afraid it would be too subtle!
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